1887 Fire Engine Highlights Memorabilia Auction
Ed Pfeiffer provides an account of an auction of firematic memorabilia at which a well-restored handtub fire engine was the featured item.
Chuck DeLuca held his first auction of firefighting memorabilia in 1980. Although he has never been in the fire service, he said he bought a vintage fire pumper and "thought it would be a good centerpiece for a sale." It seems he was right. Photo by Ed Pfeiffer The star of the...
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Among other items sold were an ornate silver speaking trumpet with tassel that went for $1,210. About 30 inches tall and with a 71/2-inch round bell, it was inscribed, "Compliments of Mountain Hose 4 Binghamton N.Y." A 20-inch brass trumpet that had been presented to the Hartford Veteran Firemen Association in 1935 found a buyer at $633.
Prints, photographs, certificates and other paper collectibles were scattered throughout the sale. A 10-by-14-inch print, which the catalog noted was probably hand-tinted, showed the Montauk, NY, firehouse and a title, "A Fire Engine House of Moderate Cost." Bidding climbed to a $440 sale. Two Buchanan & Lyle prints, sold as separate lots, showed companies with horse-drawn equipment rushing to fires. One, with a steamer and ladder truck underway together, drew a $550 price; the other, showing a pumper responding, fetched $220.
Ed Pfeiffer is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in antique and collectible items. For auction dates and catalogs, contact Chuck DeLuca of Maritime Auctions at (207) 363-4247; fax (207) 363-1416.
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